It’s rare for any TV series to make the leap to the big screen, let alone for an adult animation series. Following giants like The Simpsons and South Park, Bob’s Burgers received its big screen adventure on May 27th and is now available on Blu-Ray, Digital, and DVD. Having never seen an episode of the series, I was curious how the film would play to a newcomer.
(20th Century Studios)
The Belcher Family are down on their luck, having a hard time paying the rent for their family-owned burger restaurant, which they live above. But things get even worse when a sinkhole opens up right outside their front door, making it impossible for patrons to support their local business. But when a body is found in the sinkhole, kids Tinda, Gene, and Louise set out to solve the mystery in hopes that it will save the family’s restaurant.
While there are presumably a lot of callbacks to the series along the way, The Bob’s Burgers Movie never alienates its audience, with a strong story built around this quirky family. Musical numbers and an imaginative world keep things lively and the series’ signature brand of comedy ensure lots of laughs throughout the feature-length runtime.
The Blu-Ray/Digital combo contains more bonus features than your typical Disney Animation release, with a making-of featurette that tracks the success and demand for Comic-Con panels and other live readings of scripts to the series getting a feature film greenlight. An audio commentary is equally enlightening about the production, particularly how the film was completed during lockdown. And there are lots of deleted sequences and animation breakdowns for anyone interested in learning more about the craft.
Bonus Features
- Audio Commentary (1:41:53) – Watch the movie with audio commentary by H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal, Directors Loren Bouchard and Bernard Derriman, Writer Nora Smith and Production Designer Ruben Hickman.
- Making Of the Movie (18:52) – Bob's Burgers Creator Loren Bouchard talks about turning Bob's Burgers the TV show into Bob's Burgers the show that’s a movie.
- My Butt Has a Fever Theatrical Short (5:51) – The Belcher children perform in the school talent show in order to share their very important and powerful message.
- My Butt Has a Fever Animatic Version (5:30) – A look Behind-the-scenes, the animatic of the theatrical short My Butt Has a Fever.
- Deleted Scenes with Optional Audio Commentary by Creator Loren Bouchard and Writer Nora Smith
- The Movie We Didn't Make (5:46) – Creator Loren Bouchard and Writer Nora Smith introduce the deleted scenes you’re about to see.
- Metal Detector (1:19) – Bob and Linda go to City Hall in a version of the movie where they went to City Hall.
- Burning Piers (0:50) – The turbulent history of Wonder Wharf.
- Grover's Office (0:48) – Bob and Linda go to Grover’s office in a version of the movie where they went to Grover’s Office.
- Animatics
- "Sunny Side Up Summer" Storyboards and Rough Animation (3:45) – The work-in-progress not-even-color-yet animatic of the song “Sunny Side Up Summer.”
- "Lucky Ducks" Storyboards and Rough Animation (2:19) The work-in-progress not-even-color-yet animatic of the song “Lucky Ducks.”
- "Not That Evil" Storyboards and Rough Animation Featuring David Wain (6:39) – David Wain performs an entire dance routine, with no formal training, to his character Grover’s song “Not That Evil.” Plays alongside the song’s animatic.
- "End Credits" Storyboards and Rough Animation (1:22) – The work-in-progress animatic of the End Credits, comes with provocative dance moves and unconventional rhythm.
- Animating the Scene with Optional Commentary
- Linda Through the Pass (4:34) – The progression of a scene from storyboard to animation, with commentary by Director Bernard Derriman, and also Linda is in it.
- Bob And Linda Go to The Bank (7:25) – A time-lapse of the bank scene being animated (Viewable with optional commentary).
- Louise Grabs the Fuse (2:25) – A time-lapse of the “Louise Grabs the Fuse” scene being animated (Viewable with optional commentary).
Video
The Bob’s Burgers Movie is set in a colorful world and the Blu-Ray HD transfer allows those colors to shine. While not as detailed as a typical animated film, the transfer allows the artistry of the animators to shine through.
Audio
The standard audio mix is English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and it does a fine job of keeping the music and effects moving throughout your home theater. Additional options include a 2.0 descriptive audio mix, plus French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital. On the audio options menu, there is also a joke to be found – an “Australian 6.2 Mono” track that doesn’t actually exist. Clicking it does nothing.
Packaging & Design
The Bob’s Burgers Movie comes in a standard Blu-Ray single-disc case. A slipcover is included in the initial pressing and the only insert contains your Movies Anywhere digital copy code.
The main menu features an animated exterior of Bob’s Burgers. Each sub-menu contains original artwork created for this presentation, playing more like a DVD menu from the early aughts than a modern Blu-Ray menu.
Final Thoughts
The Bob’s Burgers Movie offers a lot of fun for viewers, whether you’re a diehard fan of the series or have never seen a single episode. This Blu-Ray presentation goes above and beyond with the supplemental materials, truly giving fans what they want.
Buying Options
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